tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72830053174568144292024-03-14T13:47:59.779-04:00Birding with Kenn and KimberlyBirding with Kenn and Kimberly Kenn Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04770640232654807723noreply@blogger.comBlogger260125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-14634789731053319902021-06-23T21:50:00.002-04:002021-06-23T23:13:00.565-04:00From Kenn's Studio: Red-headed Barbet <span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>From Kenn's Studio: Red-headed Barbet / Torito Cabecirrojo (Eubucco bourcierii), female - watercolor on Arches paper. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXhiumwROtHsX9R_xVrbNxuIhC_ENDiD63T-5uzsWTbX9J07OuqPOUXauytwMUDm7GjrCKHUYUPi4f2IPQkkEzfMcdy_QZeWTVs0iTItGHFZDMWI969iytPpUEGlftaYLHoxDMs29C0L_/s1200/Red-headed+Barbet_female.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1200" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXhiumwROtHsX9R_xVrbNxuIhC_ENDiD63T-5uzsWTbX9J07OuqPOUXauytwMUDm7GjrCKHUYUPi4f2IPQkkEzfMcdy_QZeWTVs0iTItGHFZDMWI969iytPpUEGlftaYLHoxDMs29C0L_/w462-h374/Red-headed+Barbet_female.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like many birds, <br />Red-headed Barbet is named for the colors of the male, but I think the female's color pattern is just as beautiful. These small, chunky birds live in mountain forest of Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, plus a small area of northern Peru. I've seen them several places, most recently last year in foothills near Cali, Colombia.</div><br /><br />See more of Kenn's artwork on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KennKaufmanArt" target="_blank">Artist and Author page on Facebook</a>. </span>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-14807407545666935752021-06-21T22:34:00.009-04:002021-06-23T22:03:05.604-04:00Gifts from a Harnessed Tiger Moth <p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">From Homebase in Oak Harbor, Kimberly Writes: On August 1, 2014, I removed what I thought was a dead Harnessed Tiger Moth from a spider web outside our house. I don't make a habitat of denying spiders a meal, but the moth was freshly "dead" and still looked beautiful, so I wanted to photograph it. When I did, I was stunned to see that in the final moments of her life, she had laid several eggs! <br /><br />I somehow felt personally responsible for these tiny pearls she bestowed upon me, and I set about to raise them as best I could. <br /><br />Here's a photographic journey though that amazing experience.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsDgAIyopBtWYmKquqGtaCCdbkcjuc0gBbiVC_slHm4DVK_8f5P5P2MwOnMqo0mwx3nixbhybptZHcKGw6VOVLrB_P6fJ0pqOwSlVhiMXlUBYWwUxnQl-HcVBhMrcIz9XH7PyO5MYdDAy/s960/FB_IMG_1599611599828.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsDgAIyopBtWYmKquqGtaCCdbkcjuc0gBbiVC_slHm4DVK_8f5P5P2MwOnMqo0mwx3nixbhybptZHcKGw6VOVLrB_P6fJ0pqOwSlVhiMXlUBYWwUxnQl-HcVBhMrcIz9XH7PyO5MYdDAy/w640-h360/FB_IMG_1599611599828.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">08.01.2014 - Female Harnessed Tiger Moth lays eggs in the final moments of life<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPnOBvwYi3qKrm9wnAvJJ4wofLRm59uND4mDD36nbLKnYqw6IJoYYj5SPwVJKFuOBPezpocY1egpmJ7qn8KJyu23wR9nh_-paFWonLXtH3SYWB3-IOs3ESt5zp4eWUycEdCzpv7PnKmMS/s640/08.06.2014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPnOBvwYi3qKrm9wnAvJJ4wofLRm59uND4mDD36nbLKnYqw6IJoYYj5SPwVJKFuOBPezpocY1egpmJ7qn8KJyu23wR9nh_-paFWonLXtH3SYWB3-IOs3ESt5zp4eWUycEdCzpv7PnKmMS/w640-h480/08.06.2014.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I actually watched the caterpillars hatching under a microscope. <br />Here they are on 08.06.2014, one day old. These are magnified many times.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ2lsM-EVU1teiPEiPYB4ScozeLCcK5EClqbTBuLA_rIsSp88hC16_XhZaEm8QdTCg_98oFtA9W6mUj1QpeEwEj7Z4Jz-lWdlVbBJJmBhq5NsfSw-UWQh5zlWU1B7fRlBfhBPSuavqtW8/s1920/08.20+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ2lsM-EVU1teiPEiPYB4ScozeLCcK5EClqbTBuLA_rIsSp88hC16_XhZaEm8QdTCg_98oFtA9W6mUj1QpeEwEj7Z4Jz-lWdlVbBJJmBhq5NsfSw-UWQh5zlWU1B7fRlBfhBPSuavqtW8/w640-h360/08.20+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Caterpillars on 08.20.2014<br />Feeding on oak leaves and growing seemingly by the hour! <br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8iipHeVahd7IWUkrX_1VQ_coUc2eYQEa9low-Y4k5uWxq_NrtV0UQk1lTYdNNl8XOxLdAW7LWpIOrX1DVX8Qk7xigSGUq31vHYJgnMZXaOMzT99EjP2dERwt1MZDssHBHc7G5HuxpKEN/s640/08.18.2014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8iipHeVahd7IWUkrX_1VQ_coUc2eYQEa9low-Y4k5uWxq_NrtV0UQk1lTYdNNl8XOxLdAW7LWpIOrX1DVX8Qk7xigSGUq31vHYJgnMZXaOMzT99EjP2dERwt1MZDssHBHc7G5HuxpKEN/w640-h480/08.18.2014.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Close-up view of caterpillar on 08.20.2014</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztvFs0BK8scF-lnMymTgCqabkbN2Y3lGfxX43WbSRspJbecDLjwBEb_chw5pCSgnT1nlMrXB0pdv4-V5KM1s6fl_V31rCEwCRO63LDor30ur1-7CyP5X65vt1Ka7vB3CHayJANok9UOGq/s1920/Silked+In_08.28.2014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztvFs0BK8scF-lnMymTgCqabkbN2Y3lGfxX43WbSRspJbecDLjwBEb_chw5pCSgnT1nlMrXB0pdv4-V5KM1s6fl_V31rCEwCRO63LDor30ur1-7CyP5X65vt1Ka7vB3CHayJANok9UOGq/w640-h360/Silked+In_08.28.2014.jpg" width="640" /></a>0</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">8.24.2014 - Preparing to pupate by silking themselves into loosely woven cocoons.</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTkajp3CsUwX3gh6mnyUEHucRlQ_sZ9sPWAi4RKejGc0-D2GkpQ9Z3yy6PmYZgTUR6gtddRldzbOoKPSejS9D91QzZ44F8VPAoDShUBu7_CiXYYyEJszn4T38nkvXqnwF5cDkFv7gC4PY/s960/FB_IMG_1599612179087.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTkajp3CsUwX3gh6mnyUEHucRlQ_sZ9sPWAi4RKejGc0-D2GkpQ9Z3yy6PmYZgTUR6gtddRldzbOoKPSejS9D91QzZ44F8VPAoDShUBu7_CiXYYyEJszn4T38nkvXqnwF5cDkFv7gC4PY/w640-h360/FB_IMG_1599612179087.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;">08.26.2014 - "My" eight babies have pupated! <br /><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3XtTWeeKD8TU4Wndl1npGxupkxA8WEYw4vN2Fgt9inKiq7a0HIuVyO_hEBrr4a893KiAuOgBsxStPiu5Zm0Umdrob5KbK0WuJZoOpU0IU-5ujMBxg1NTUARpA-dALWa2DK59wjYIlnH5/s701/Close+up+of+Pupa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="701" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3XtTWeeKD8TU4Wndl1npGxupkxA8WEYw4vN2Fgt9inKiq7a0HIuVyO_hEBrr4a893KiAuOgBsxStPiu5Zm0Umdrob5KbK0WuJZoOpU0IU-5ujMBxg1NTUARpA-dALWa2DK59wjYIlnH5/w640-h386/Close+up+of+Pupa.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;">Here's what the pupa look like up close! <br />Unlike other lepodoptera that wriggle until their final skin drops off after they pupate, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;">Harnessed Tiger Moths wear theirs like an odd toupee! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgNMHqj-O8WZ4sTo65PKX_ktOsigI2ItzNuajt8q48nuFlgT8qCijhQRU0GDV0WiHKXzI5qUrxFC9jFPTnr1LZeGRi1X8LhrZuPKY4ZyPahHix3ikeXUDuNhDORfjSUaIP0Bx7R9vESq6/s1920/Emerging+from+pupa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgNMHqj-O8WZ4sTo65PKX_ktOsigI2ItzNuajt8q48nuFlgT8qCijhQRU0GDV0WiHKXzI5qUrxFC9jFPTnr1LZeGRi1X8LhrZuPKY4ZyPahHix3ikeXUDuNhDORfjSUaIP0Bx7R9vESq6/w360-h640/Emerging+from+pupa.jpg" width="360" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">09.04.2014 - Harnessed Tiger Moth emerging from the chrysalis<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRURyGQ-WvgdL-1PvqPW6irArzbu71Yjvs3_LlOmN6hDzTcqsmWX2L5Bwlhsia14psDfcDZn5O13IPOrlrbzdtb2zyTRhpJdYi8y9G-cjzyHt7g98Uhh05InX3S5JeWejcQe_Oo-7nARm/s1920/Emerged_09.04.2014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRURyGQ-WvgdL-1PvqPW6irArzbu71Yjvs3_LlOmN6hDzTcqsmWX2L5Bwlhsia14psDfcDZn5O13IPOrlrbzdtb2zyTRhpJdYi8y9G-cjzyHt7g98Uhh05InX3S5JeWejcQe_Oo-7nARm/w360-h640/Emerged_09.04.2014.jpg" width="360" /></a><br /><span style="text-align: left;">09.04.2014 - Emerged!</span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQU4qeg776ckFCCwf7NveN3GtgawUb-L-1XVhBxqJp2rG2sRJOdnp08XEPq7tvVjLOzzYOxXDkHf2_Terd35cK1T3j7kYK5WknQutUWaPwHOhbbaG9Ylu1MztRMnfOopZrrJbQkE_bEKe/s1920/Closed+wing+view_09.04.2014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQU4qeg776ckFCCwf7NveN3GtgawUb-L-1XVhBxqJp2rG2sRJOdnp08XEPq7tvVjLOzzYOxXDkHf2_Terd35cK1T3j7kYK5WknQutUWaPwHOhbbaG9Ylu1MztRMnfOopZrrJbQkE_bEKe/w640-h360/Closed+wing+view_09.04.2014.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;"> 09.04.2014 - Underside of newly emerged adult Harnessed Tiger Moth</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lCmQvnk_fY13sDFDWd74CNdUA5sFyKARVr1Rc3kGBU9kpPhCEt7abtJyRLGHSXZCAsz_Qi2PIdGZhCsC2k3nBAgPs1xsT79kXiOkuaQUIXNcn1bMJ08Vxq5wSD0D1ke_LNhJTckavhiP/s960/FB_IMG_1599612327626.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lCmQvnk_fY13sDFDWd74CNdUA5sFyKARVr1Rc3kGBU9kpPhCEt7abtJyRLGHSXZCAsz_Qi2PIdGZhCsC2k3nBAgPs1xsT79kXiOkuaQUIXNcn1bMJ08Vxq5wSD0D1ke_LNhJTckavhiP/w640-h360/FB_IMG_1599612327626.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;">09.04.201 - Topside view of the newly emerged adult Harnessed Tiger Moth as I set them free. <br /><br />What an amazing experience it was to be a foster mama to these tiny drops of life, to watch them grow, to see them fly away, free to carry one this beautiful circle of life. </span></div><p></p>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-20929127357875234432021-06-19T08:04:00.002-04:002021-06-23T22:00:48.212-04:00Brood X Adventure <div class="separator" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Kenn Writes: Periodical cicadas: Brood X, which appeared this year, is one of the most widespread of the 17-year cicada emergences. But as with the other broods, it's also quite localized: the insects don't travel far, so unless you're very close to one of the mass emergence sites, you won't see any at all.</span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGSVNpznawr-iT_XLNuQVP04AHcSEQYLjFN2YYsNvRCMjaRvr5fGIC3FcMZb3St5B11dsMgT_1tkUR9Z0Wjx-SzHbrckiWZdY5_viuhhfbUzZojwC5zsA3F3X7annh1FdSv6FHC7hirPK/w480-h640/IMG_20210619_145833972.jpg" style="font-family: helvetica;" width="480" /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Brood X emerged at many sites in Ohio this year, but none in our immediate area in the northwest part of the state. So today, Kimberly and I made a special trip north to Washtenaw County, Michigan, which apparently is the northernmost outpost of Brood X. (A couple of other broods do occur slightly farther north in Wisconsin and New York, but of course they're not out this year.) We spent time at the Matthaei Botanical Garden and Marshall Nature Area just east of Ann Arbor and saw good diversity of birds, plants, butterflies, etc., as well as having a wonderful experience with the insects that were the main target of our expedition.<br /></span></div><div class="separator"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="383" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZR156ppyPZs" width="460" youtube-src-id="ZR156ppyPZs"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div></div><div class="separator"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Kimberly plucked this obliging individual off of a low shrub and it promptly sang for us.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">*Note the din in the background: a chorus of thousands of individuals. <br /><br /><br /></span></div></div></div><div class="separator"><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I can't imagine how anyone could fail to be fascinated by periodical cicadas. The adults we saw yesterday had hatched out of eggs laid in 2004, and they had spent the last 17 years tunneling around underground before emerging, en masse, within the last few weeks. The adults are harmless and slow-moving and they don't even make any attempt to defend themselves when you pick them up. Why? Because they have evolved to appear abruptly, in numbers so huge that predators can't possibly take them all. We saw robins, kingbirds, woodpeckers, catbirds, and others eating cicadas, and we even watched a large dragonfly catch one in midair, but even with all this feasting by predators it was obvious they couldn't put a dent in the sheer abundance. We looked at various trees where the female cicadas already had laid large numbers of eggs, laying the groundwork for the next emergence of Brood X in 2038.</span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5k40XCDX2GTAMP9PQOchcB1EKcJfrzoVihnNc7gBwpRCvFaFeZ8pkLTS4dbMp1SP85ZM2f1sX8thy7CVfGk7SxTuV1XNHpoG9_cqGu5pEraWR4eQkeVAslOVQUdAxHdLo-31h_S3tPGg/w640-h480/IMG_20210619_145506948.jpg" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Hundreds of molted exoskeletons festooned the underside of low shrubs</span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This would all be extraordinary enough if periodical cicadas were just one species. But current understanding is that there are three species of 17-year cicadas and four species of 13-year cicadas (one recognized as recently as the year 2000), with multiple species often appearing together. The members of Brood X emerging in Michigan are mostly (or all?) of the species Magicicada septendecim, sometimes called the Pharaoh Cicada, like the one in this photograph.<br /><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC9_NeMMUgE-sthHu5fqxpeETmpNaphZ4h8i9-cmbo0d-XfHV2lpRHbndn9AUlKrewWKsHyT0Dlsi4x2Ni747T9DLy4G50RsL-85fIWsXq78mFbTmAr9vaego_vgYDUVyiJ8u4a4D0Gfz/s1080/FB_IMG_1624350029883.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1080" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC9_NeMMUgE-sthHu5fqxpeETmpNaphZ4h8i9-cmbo0d-XfHV2lpRHbndn9AUlKrewWKsHyT0Dlsi4x2Ni747T9DLy4G50RsL-85fIWsXq78mFbTmAr9vaego_vgYDUVyiJ8u4a4D0Gfz/w640-h462/FB_IMG_1624350029883.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In the future I think we'll see more ecotourism events develop around this phenomenon. I should think that naturalists from other parts of the country (or from other countries) would be interested in something like full-day trips out in the field with an interpretive naturalist to learn details about these absolutely amazing insects, as well as looking at other aspects of natural history. For Kimberly and me, yesterday was phenomenally rewarding. We had just been too danged busy to go pursue the distant cicadas; but then our friends Kevin and Lisa were passing through the area, and after meeting them for breakfast, we decided to just ditch our work for the day and go off chasing bugs. I'm glad we did. </span></div></div>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-9342615450279236352021-05-21T09:50:00.003-04:002021-06-23T22:04:07.106-04:00Birds Light the Way<span style="font-family: helvetica;">From Homebase in Oak Harbor, Kimberly Writes: It was an ugly little light. Too small for the space, old fashioned and beginning to rust. I'd thought of changing it many times and can't say why I hadn't. <br /><br />Procrastination produces wonders.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1HfEhJXvR9Ks-vEquCo-MNOBMhnlE72QkgFBcy6rScm1Lwry5GvfWHfi2UQpzQAA7ybVK3csQtJ16eXvnamIEIykXos-p0cC6D1xoIAAGGW8Hvk53hujxlnwpWhyyXnKwMEMbdzirJHd/s2048/A+mouthful+of+mud.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1524" data-original-width="2048" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1HfEhJXvR9Ks-vEquCo-MNOBMhnlE72QkgFBcy6rScm1Lwry5GvfWHfi2UQpzQAA7ybVK3csQtJ16eXvnamIEIykXos-p0cC6D1xoIAAGGW8Hvk53hujxlnwpWhyyXnKwMEMbdzirJHd/w640-h475/A+mouthful+of+mud.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />Kenn brought them to my attention yesterday morning: these lovely, long-winged architects. </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU_7w1KAMxDVvE9Ed6Yq1LvVPXwytxnK4eqnPbbKKtdY3liB5shl03_bINtDbeEIG9glqoMvfmv_21hSAYlZnMMUQEzAlsf_GQw6GVLLAueyyJtDFa2rHrINatC9BdfdZv74UI_ac_Azw/s4000/IMG_4588.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU_7w1KAMxDVvE9Ed6Yq1LvVPXwytxnK4eqnPbbKKtdY3liB5shl03_bINtDbeEIG9glqoMvfmv_21hSAYlZnMMUQEzAlsf_GQw6GVLLAueyyJtDFa2rHrINatC9BdfdZv74UI_ac_Azw/w640-h480/IMG_4588.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Just beginning to transform our light and our lives, we watched, mesmerized by their industrial ballet, each trip to and from, their graceful flights turning mud into magic.<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UEysZYWIxa0B0vBAtAWhdmGOVxUBc1QhIgh6Zr787jCGD1ck2GzJbjO7IboGDmVV_rrsG_qszLScYs8gj9giGEz7sLJX58zDG3_s1GzjuT6_2hGSq5GRzeZEBryX2_5MjHsWy-HLTzU8/s4000/IMG_4576.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UEysZYWIxa0B0vBAtAWhdmGOVxUBc1QhIgh6Zr787jCGD1ck2GzJbjO7IboGDmVV_rrsG_qszLScYs8gj9giGEz7sLJX58zDG3_s1GzjuT6_2hGSq5GRzeZEBryX2_5MjHsWy-HLTzU8/w640-h480/IMG_4576.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What a joy to have a front row seat as this pair of Barn Swallows brings new life to an old light.</span><br />Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-68914449779579514052020-11-17T11:14:00.001-05:002020-11-17T11:15:14.887-05:00<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Owls: So captivating. So vexing. </span></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've been thinking a LOT about owls and people lately, and I would like to have an open, candid, honest discussion about viewing/photographing owls. There's something so captivating, so mysterious, so alluring about owls that they bring out the best - and sometimes the worst - in people.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYXpSGl8VDDnizrlaHCOTnoafEAG10viBaojHnT6LCyPHD4nsMca-H1DATB6o07fcJIms24dMnHTdiprIwM0Cu5MsCCtXz0u7Cluehp4Xnq9hiV3SCG8pPOxGsmHGq2ClDiP1fK3jnKw8/s960/Long-eared+Owl+Ettiquette+Image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="960" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYXpSGl8VDDnizrlaHCOTnoafEAG10viBaojHnT6LCyPHD4nsMca-H1DATB6o07fcJIms24dMnHTdiprIwM0Cu5MsCCtXz0u7Cluehp4Xnq9hiV3SCG8pPOxGsmHGq2ClDiP1fK3jnKw8/w419-h414/Long-eared+Owl+Ettiquette+Image.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With social media dominating our lives, we see this played out more than ever before. It's frustrating, disturbing, and it seems impossible to ever resolve. Still, I think it's worth discussing.
</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Here are a few questions to help frame the discussion. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">1) Are we *too* concerned about this? </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I'm speaking specifically about owls in public areas: parks, wildlife areas, etc. Are we making a big deal about something the birds will just deal with themselves? Does it really harm the birds? Birds have wings and they use them. If there's too much human activity, won't they just move on? Are we spending too much time and energy on a few single birds - while global populations of birds are in peril as millions of acres of habitat are wiped off the planet? (Remember, I'm posing this as a question for discussion. This is NOT my position statement on the matter!)
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJtBW3JSKusBPpHIkORRztUaZk8LWEyfwZSUlvXSvmJbvanVndm6Vl0TQS_6VTF0lVcMsn69R7kDxpdPTMMsF4m29dcXGJWcTupXc9dxWfAKbvpny2otao7Lcx8JsIRi7VZLTyM9oPIyE/s4000/Barred-Best.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJtBW3JSKusBPpHIkORRztUaZk8LWEyfwZSUlvXSvmJbvanVndm6Vl0TQS_6VTF0lVcMsn69R7kDxpdPTMMsF4m29dcXGJWcTupXc9dxWfAKbvpny2otao7Lcx8JsIRi7VZLTyM9oPIyE/s320/Barred-Best.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">A Barred Owl along a very active hiking trail. We were very close to this bird (actually it was close to us), and it did flush after a few minutes when our small group stopped to admire it.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2) Far too often, experienced / advanced birders cast shame down upon those who lack the experience to understand or judge the bird's behavior. We act as though the birds should be left alone, and yet...we've all gone out to see these magnificent animals. (Repeatedly!) What gives us the right to deny others the experience? Instead, shouldn't we do our best to encourage them to go see the bird, but give them the knowledge and the skills to do so in a responsible manner? Clearly, owls inspire people. Shouldn't we take advantage of that to draw them in and help them fall in love with all birds?
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdW2xvc7jsOGMuJLkws05VwWWrVXOurO1zk3UTkNhUQ4hPu7ADIAUrAm1npX0rg_vcHlI-vcw9__sOl-0keytvc07PxNUIvEHJJAKNQcRsmEfdiQCFckWZbFoEB8DfA9US4yrKBtuc6g9k/s4000/IMG_9195.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdW2xvc7jsOGMuJLkws05VwWWrVXOurO1zk3UTkNhUQ4hPu7ADIAUrAm1npX0rg_vcHlI-vcw9__sOl-0keytvc07PxNUIvEHJJAKNQcRsmEfdiQCFckWZbFoEB8DfA9US4yrKBtuc6g9k/s320/IMG_9195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">Northern Saw-whet Owl a few feet from a walking trail at Maumee Bay State Park, Visited by (at least) dozens of people, this little charmer was harassed to the point of leaving its perch during the daytime hours, all for a better photo.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">3) When photos of owls are posted in Facebook birding groups -- even birds looking completely stressed and in the verge of flushing from their perch -- they receive more likes and positive comments than any other birds. This positive reinforcement of poor birding etiquette drives many others to go out and attempt to get IN YOUR FACE shots of owls, too. But, even with the most gentle, polite suggestions attempting to educate, the push back is swift and harsh. (I realize this isn't really a question, more of a conundrum that I needed to vent.)
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5Be7DmCwX8CdvrfW6jsKuXbyRp6zMnaJdvFkJxEwuDFDchP1lqBHPOcpIMhiGapasVT7gZSMVcjqA52vWjzIoauiMyb522hmVw3I1XPZv22QSvvKB1R7ce2GwWyCgRB3M8uyfk5MgHAs/s1220/Long-eared+Owl+tiff.tif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="544" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5Be7DmCwX8CdvrfW6jsKuXbyRp6zMnaJdvFkJxEwuDFDchP1lqBHPOcpIMhiGapasVT7gZSMVcjqA52vWjzIoauiMyb522hmVw3I1XPZv22QSvvKB1R7ce2GwWyCgRB3M8uyfk5MgHAs/w179-h400/Long-eared+Owl+tiff.tif" width="179" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">A Long-eared Owl clearly on high alert. I took this photo many years ago, before I knew how to read the signs that I was too close. This was one of several LEOWs in a cedar tree growing right along a side road in Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area. My guess is that this bird was visited and photographed at least hundreds of times. Yet, it stayed put, continuing to roost in the same tree for several weeks.</span><br style="color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;" /><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">Hard to say if the human foot traffic had an impact on it's longevity.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">4) In the last decade (or so) there's been a massive effort to encourage people to take up birding. Are we doing enough to teach them how to be *responsible* birders? In addition to workshops on how to use optics and where to find birds, maybe we need to develop more robust programs that incorporate birding ethics, with a focus on problematic birds like owls.
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTntrimYqh8xzb_o1mjTiscAr33fFx3h9GomfY_f33OL0u8jkJd-6k4TQDfqmIePwlwgl-0lEU4BmLOSq2OBOyjisnV4Ujao0lQ7rUSFRB6VNvml8zSN2-ADdL4eKV3aFkAz2Ae1QnoGJ2/s2048/SEOW_Benton-Carroll+Road_03-28-2015+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1911" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTntrimYqh8xzb_o1mjTiscAr33fFx3h9GomfY_f33OL0u8jkJd-6k4TQDfqmIePwlwgl-0lEU4BmLOSq2OBOyjisnV4Ujao0lQ7rUSFRB6VNvml8zSN2-ADdL4eKV3aFkAz2Ae1QnoGJ2/s320/SEOW_Benton-Carroll+Road_03-28-2015+copy.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">Short-eared Owl, taken with a powerful zoom lens. Short-eared Owls never seem to be bothered by humans, as long as they stay on roads or trails. However, I have seen groups of people walking fields trying to flush them.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Again, I'm not looking for a simple solution. I'm more interested in a civil discourse on this issue, hearing and learning from others, and trying to develop my own approach. And of course I hope others will benefit from the conversation, as well.</span></div></div>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-13893520068113530522016-09-15T22:09:00.005-04:002021-06-24T11:44:21.324-04:00Painted Turtle Update! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Although Kenn and I were away from home and missed it, two more baby turtles hatched! And while our hearts might be a teensy bit sad to have missed it, we couldn't be happier that our dear friend Tiffanie got to share this experience with her daughter. In fact, after looking at the pictures and seeing the radiant, happy smile on Delaney's face as she released these tiny bundles of life, we wouldn't change the way these two baby turtles came into the world for anything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: start;">Hatchling baby turtle #2 has arrived!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7rl6yF1xECNB4n7N6sIRTsecgVvJxAqQi73zInFn5KJYHoqUinfsVaB7iIVTEEibM7mPsqLN4OyXMO1_-qPpc-TER1bsZ9yYScV9wLwEiSnhGVuA1lctlxJIoQfhYL_w1fzGTbTbeJhi/s1600/14348761_10210389161349490_423583681_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7rl6yF1xECNB4n7N6sIRTsecgVvJxAqQi73zInFn5KJYHoqUinfsVaB7iIVTEEibM7mPsqLN4OyXMO1_-qPpc-TER1bsZ9yYScV9wLwEiSnhGVuA1lctlxJIoQfhYL_w1fzGTbTbeJhi/w480-h640/14348761_10210389161349490_423583681_n.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">And if you look closely, above #2, you can see the head of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">#3 just beginning to emerge!</span></div>
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</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Just look at that beautiful, happy smile! </span></div>
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Baby turtles are definitely smile-inducing! </div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Delaney sends one tiny hatchling off into </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">There are still a few more to hatch, so we'll keep you posted! </span></span>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-19311930088085943072016-09-14T11:38:00.003-04:002021-06-24T11:44:57.094-04:00BobWHITE Memories, New and Old<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif"><b>Kimberly Writes: </b>We should all seek happiness in our lives. But, oh the joy when happiness finds you. ♡♡♡ </span><br />
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<span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">We were overjoyed this morning when this pair of Northern Bobwhites walked out from under the shrubbery to forage around one of our bird feeding stations. </span><br />
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<span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">We'd had one male in the yard a few years ago...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlJnXzJUfGDZQ8Qd14jNx25pI8GjyXpztMvWZiQCbHb16fJl41oYAPCFMAzZEYvQiqBk1VmsuTjEGAHNoovdj9gf2lDFE_mOgbT0Ep-e-sqzzz5SQ24mH7Miklltz1vyZlK1kS1u1A62r/s1600/Bob+White.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlJnXzJUfGDZQ8Qd14jNx25pI8GjyXpztMvWZiQCbHb16fJl41oYAPCFMAzZEYvQiqBk1VmsuTjEGAHNoovdj9gf2lDFE_mOgbT0Ep-e-sqzzz5SQ24mH7Miklltz1vyZlK1kS1u1A62r/w640-h640/Bob+White.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;"> ...but this is our first pair. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: start;">This is a totem bird for me. It was the first bird I ever really knew existed. Sitting on the porch swing of my Grandparent's farm house, little 5-year-old Kimmer sat beside her Grandpa Jake, who she idolized. And when he whistled that sharp, clear "BobWHITE." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: start;">and the bird called back from the ravine on the edge of their yard...well, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: start;">I just knew that my Grandpa was magic. ♡♡♡</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXukHyyM9n_3FQCIkp2Oz-_2S90lDryAZHUldukn5Mcfu45SXziZQCv6FYYYkbj00D7ROfvrP4yay4dyVYNFnJ0jwDCEyRgY2bLkx_Z5cXXzKRxGeecf_-EqkJ3x488wyEYlh5mwnkwy5f/s1600/Leaving.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXukHyyM9n_3FQCIkp2Oz-_2S90lDryAZHUldukn5Mcfu45SXziZQCv6FYYYkbj00D7ROfvrP4yay4dyVYNFnJ0jwDCEyRgY2bLkx_Z5cXXzKRxGeecf_-EqkJ3x488wyEYlh5mwnkwy5f/w640-h419/Leaving.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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And off they go, back under the shrubbery from whence they came. </span></div>
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Thanks for stopping by and making our hearts so happy, you dapper little birds. ♡♡♡</span></div>
</span>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-39301864551858134222016-09-10T21:31:00.002-04:002021-06-23T22:06:11.805-04:00Shell YES! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>From Homebase in Oak Harbor, Ohio, Kimberly Writes:</b> On July 9th, I <a href="http://birdingwithkennandkim.blogspot.com/2016/07/backyard-nature-discoveries-midland.html" target="_blank">shared the story</a> of our encounter with a Midland Painted Turtle laying eggs in our prairie. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxyvX9KdmnEjfzfyUi4ttNjxAkhyphenhyphen3t39SVSlyluyexorh1qG_BcAHY8gNW7Lb9oTZI0o8sCDt8965xo3s9H2M0UgnngOJJQ6bdDYs5IEDTy0V08qYvWS-iVwd8XdZtFAd_wORdmce5Cag/s1600/IMG_1558.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxyvX9KdmnEjfzfyUi4ttNjxAkhyphenhyphen3t39SVSlyluyexorh1qG_BcAHY8gNW7Lb9oTZI0o8sCDt8965xo3s9H2M0UgnngOJJQ6bdDYs5IEDTy0V08qYvWS-iVwd8XdZtFAd_wORdmce5Cag/w640-h354/IMG_1558.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">For several weeks we wrestled with what to do. Our yard is frequented by many of the main predators of turtle nests, and a</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">fter much discussion, a great deal of research, and some serious soul searching, we made the decision to collect the eggs and raise them inside.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Excavating the eggs was a delicate, stressful operation. But after several minutes of painstakingly careful excavation (using a series of small brushes) seven gleaming white eggs were revealed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswe9YkkjMLSgfSrJc8JccJ9bWGtBo-Z8VVMN-KTS-N26J8BmmEK9MJNFzGlAkHJ8-cOnmL_HSqeR1G-tK8QSOwRVJP_YYAMe2brNOsRTsrvXPfZnG2Cl_Dya9GIC4EBSKnHEvwPXoZzzz/s1600/Eggs+in+Nest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswe9YkkjMLSgfSrJc8JccJ9bWGtBo-Z8VVMN-KTS-N26J8BmmEK9MJNFzGlAkHJ8-cOnmL_HSqeR1G-tK8QSOwRVJP_YYAMe2brNOsRTsrvXPfZnG2Cl_Dya9GIC4EBSKnHEvwPXoZzzz/w640-h523/Eggs+in+Nest.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">We took exceptional care in handling this precious cargo, and placed them in a container under several inches of the same soil they were removed from. </span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">And then, we waited. </span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">And waited...</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">And waited...</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">And waited...</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Wondering, hoping, yes, even praying that we'd done the right thing and that our adopted foster turtles would emerge, unharmed and healthy. As we approached the documented incubation period, we began checking on them obsessively, day and night. And finally, </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">in the wee hours of Saturday morning, September 10th, after a long and worrisome 66 day wait, there came a barely detectable scratching. Tiny grains of dirt began shifting on the surface, and...</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Our first baby turtle made its way into the world. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouTB5c9I27shVvvmYAvyRFEW0UC7O-IQoZUwUhMvwgzZ2VNktur08Qs77H7YRIclNfxPcAsB66XcN57S8C-JrbBKyQCoYJfa8zZ6836QeX_MVnNYQCdB3s6NuoRcCmyDfm9pnaiXXWLlf/s1600/IMG_3151.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouTB5c9I27shVvvmYAvyRFEW0UC7O-IQoZUwUhMvwgzZ2VNktur08Qs77H7YRIclNfxPcAsB66XcN57S8C-JrbBKyQCoYJfa8zZ6836QeX_MVnNYQCdB3s6NuoRcCmyDfm9pnaiXXWLlf/w640-h354/IMG_3151.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">And into our hearts. </span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">Impossible tiny, extraordinarily cute, exquisitely perfect. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgFfmfk9k3pAknIXv_RB2uMqOhpoD1ZEiUvv84DKgD_mnQxpdjv-YB5GuueS-aGj-hPAZxORHyDqja_sX8XqoiI89o6TJTnRPwVRHG4gfFbeuskNCTDt6F1MqkKlGSApRYfX7H9tj54Xn/s1600/IMG_3177.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgFfmfk9k3pAknIXv_RB2uMqOhpoD1ZEiUvv84DKgD_mnQxpdjv-YB5GuueS-aGj-hPAZxORHyDqja_sX8XqoiI89o6TJTnRPwVRHG4gfFbeuskNCTDt6F1MqkKlGSApRYfX7H9tj54Xn/w640-h354/IMG_3177.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">It won't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me but the tears came. <br />It just felt like such a gift, like a miracle, to hold this new new life in my hand. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">on the </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">edge of our pond in an area with shallow water, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">plenty of cover, </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">and a </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">good bit of exposed bank.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8k-O4nKpdMFSp1-t6sHd2bFVVEXr3ezRLS9g7GZxABmtbUEj67zNFk_CMskqUYe8q1-SG0EAdUIcVFm23W1Litu3Q3QEMpja6_e_1HbxzjUy7TDnma8mQTRJRHGJqiOnTexMtV4dxCi6g/s1600/IMG_3178.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8k-O4nKpdMFSp1-t6sHd2bFVVEXr3ezRLS9g7GZxABmtbUEj67zNFk_CMskqUYe8q1-SG0EAdUIcVFm23W1Litu3Q3QEMpja6_e_1HbxzjUy7TDnma8mQTRJRHGJqiOnTexMtV4dxCi6g/w640-h354/IMG_3178.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">I was overcome by how very small and vulnerable it seemed, and had to fight hard against the urge to snatch it right back up and raise it indoors where we could protect it from harm. I wondered how any of them survive in a world where nearly everything seems willing and able to eat them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">But survive they do. Their population is stable and healthy across its range, and they're </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">one of the most abundant turtle species in Ohio. </span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica;">We're still waiting on the others to emerge, and we'll keep you posted on the progress. In the meantime, please say a little pray to the turtle gods that our first little hatchling lives long and prospers. </span></div>
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Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-22597470253183241432016-08-15T17:02:00.000-04:002016-09-11T08:45:20.536-04:00Buzz ON<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago, Kenn and I threw a party in honor of some dear friends. While prepping the area near our fire ring, I started to move a rotting log at the edge of the area - and the doggone thing started buzzing -- like, LOUD! At that point, I turned to hightail it outta there, but it wasn't long before three of the angry residents (some species of small bumblebee) caught up and delivered three notices to the back of my thigh to let me know how they felt about being disturbed.<br /><br />After nursing the stings, and allowing what I hoped would be enough time for the buzzles to calm down, I returned to the scene of the crime, and here's what I found. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvzbHC2GK4-SGvtttvP1Hy-JG8VZkkHEJPAJYSz3xBuuwipZImlqa5cNeEZsl3jVvLa34JDY8ybYuOjhZz4NDQwaHNM7sjtcV7KbcZ1sR0s7wKnpVtl96-njJll7rGtXF3J3bIZXT5jDQ/s1600/IMG_2191.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvzbHC2GK4-SGvtttvP1Hy-JG8VZkkHEJPAJYSz3xBuuwipZImlqa5cNeEZsl3jVvLa34JDY8ybYuOjhZz4NDQwaHNM7sjtcV7KbcZ1sR0s7wKnpVtl96-njJll7rGtXF3J3bIZXT5jDQ/s400/IMG_2191.JPG" /></a> </div>
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If you look closely at the bottom of the stump, you can see the nest and </div>
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the little cluster of "alien pods," each containing a Bumblebee larva. </div>
<br /><br />I felt terrible for disturbing the nest. And, in order to at least turn this into a teachable moment, we cordoned off the area and encouraged our guests to peer inside. And now, I'm sharing this unique view with you, totally sting-free! :-) <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />A closer view reveals a glimpse into the bizarre and fascinating lives of Bumblebees. <br /><br />From the Bumblebee Conservation Trust: When she has chosen her nest, the queen will begin to collect pollen from flowers, to bring back to the nest. She forms a mound of pollen and wax (which she secretes from her body) and lays her first brood of eggs. She also collects nectar which she stores in a pot-shaped structure made of wax which is positioned in front of her mound. The queen keeps the eggs warm by sitting on her wax ‘nest’ and shivering her muscles to keep warm. <br /><br />Sipping from the nectar-pot gives her enough energy to incubate the eggs for several days until little white grub-like larvae emerge. These larvae are fed on pollen and nectar which the queen goes back-and-forth to collect from nearby flowers. Once they have eaten enough, after around two weeks, they spin a cocoon, inside which they develop into adult bees. Read more, here: <a href="https://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/lifecycle/">https://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/lifecycle/</a> <br /><br />I encourage you to do your own research on the life history of Bumblebees. They're incredibly fascinating, and the process of sex determination sounds like something from an episode of Star Trek! (Google search "Haplodiploid.")</span>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-76840210457886237312016-08-14T20:51:00.003-04:002021-06-23T22:05:25.994-04:00Snowberry Clearwing Moth <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span>Our big patch of zinnias continues to provide great habitat for pollinators and is attracting a sensational variety of flying insects right now. Today's featured flyer: Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis).</span></span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">From the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America: </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">"The Snowberry Clearwing is typical of a small group of clear-winged, day-flying sphinx moths that are good mimics of bumblebees -- except that they hover in front of blossoms instead of landing on them."</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Here in the Midwest, the other two species in the genus Hemaris are Hummingbird Clearwing and Slender Clearwing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecSQZGyu92pyuJ4Zl9PNbdOsxB83_8sLOwDrrCcFr0YlXlUAVQepbRgSkTwdJprW2nPf57eIyMEybVJ7MUz8hq3kWZP1Itv5T43M14Dl0PG1zOzB1ZqjUN1BWukqZmm3aaw-uvVS62FsD/s1600/IMG_2479.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecSQZGyu92pyuJ4Zl9PNbdOsxB83_8sLOwDrrCcFr0YlXlUAVQepbRgSkTwdJprW2nPf57eIyMEybVJ7MUz8hq3kWZP1Itv5T43M14Dl0PG1zOzB1ZqjUN1BWukqZmm3aaw-uvVS62FsD/w640-h354/IMG_2479.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /><span>Here's a video of this remarkable moth at our zinnias. </span></span><br />
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Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-67364399426868545062016-08-13T14:28:00.003-04:002016-08-13T15:17:11.584-04:00Bird's Nest Fungus <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I can't even tell you how excited I am about our most recent backyard nature discovery. I've always wanted to see Bird's Nest Fungus, and we've looked for it in many different places on our travels. The last place I expected to see it for the first time was in our own backyard!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's not hard to see how this fungus of Lilliputian proportion gets its name. And while the cups do look like tiny bird's nests, they're actually the fruiting body of the fungus. Inside, the "eggs," are the peridioles that contain the spores which are the basis of its reproduction.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br />NATURE IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!! :-)</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am not ashamed to admit that I sort of lost my sh*t when I discovered these. First, I ran to get Kenn, and then I made an emergency fungus discovery phone call to my best friend Tiffanie. Now listen, you know you're picking your friends right when they heed your emergency fungus discovery call and immediately jump in the car to race over!</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<br />These remarkable little bird nests in miniature are yet another powerful (and cosmically-cool!) reminder that the natural world never disappoints. Get outside. Exercise your curiosity. Feed your soul. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/backyardnaturediscoveries?source=feed_text&pnref=story" target="_blank">#BackyardNatureDiscoveries</a></span></div>
Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-26956524464683443122016-08-12T09:06:00.002-04:002016-08-12T09:06:34.529-04:00Ode to Baby Bluebirds<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For many days we waited, watched, and hoped. We heard your tiny voices calling from inside the box. We listened as your voices grew stronger and noticed when your parents stopped going all the way into the box to feed you. Instead, perching only at the entrance while tiny beaks poked out of the shadowy hole to receive the offerings.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />And today, you vaulted out of the little green box in the middle of our prairie and found your place in the sky. Oh, you beautiful little bluebirds. How you have graced our world.</span></div>
Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-16546102463642455092016-08-07T16:00:00.004-04:002016-08-07T22:09:37.099-04:00A Super Cool Cat(erpiggle)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kimberly Writes:</b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> This spring, a friend gave me a flat of Cigar Plant (Cuphea ignea). While I've grown many different plants over the years, this was a new one for me, and I was thrilled to have them, as they're hummingbird magnets!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've tended them through a hot, dry summer, and they've rewarded me by doing their job, attracting hummingbirds like crazy. Yep, I expected the hummers, but I never thought of them as a host plant for caterpiggles. Not until THIS incredible creature appeared!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A few days ago, we were walking through our gardens with our friends </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tiffanie<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> a</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nd Delaney Hayes, and we paused to talk about our little patch of Cuphea. It was a total shock to look down and see this gorgeous caterpiggle munching away, and such a joy to share the discovery with our friends! </span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />A bit of searching turned up two of these big old cats. Kenn did some research and discovered that they're White-lined Sphinx moth caterpiggles. They've grown a lot the last few days, so I took a photo today with my hand in the shot for size reference. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNQ0hsKb7_2L6XGeUbMLHdaAcT7ucsGhOxkf1rKXKGC5ettY7zHQleclI1g76o-oJdE3RRACLBIvzy_y9niyjhxfFbEb7L6Y_BrsSok_l3h5dqAie1X8x1woamfDWFSwzcwpuCeBckhqs/s1600/IMG_2218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNQ0hsKb7_2L6XGeUbMLHdaAcT7ucsGhOxkf1rKXKGC5ettY7zHQleclI1g76o-oJdE3RRACLBIvzy_y9niyjhxfFbEb7L6Y_BrsSok_l3h5dqAie1X8x1woamfDWFSwzcwpuCeBckhqs/s400/IMG_2218.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Aren't they amazing?!?! Get outside and explore the natural world. You will never be disappointed!</span></div>
Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-663121408664941962016-08-01T22:47:00.002-04:002016-08-02T05:57:45.951-04:00Deer - and Near to My Heart<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Kimberly Writes: Movement in the shadows of the old apple tree alerted us that she was there. It was a surprise to see her so close to the house, and we wondered if the hot, dry weather had driven her here, in broad daylight, to seek out the cooler temperatures and tender plants in the shade beneath the tree.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrhz_Q-HKKR-5j2ZYot147ydouMQEp_sLfBtRw2sCwJlorfDh7AqU6H75vdhdnc1qF-qPOXFf61k5h2d11wvtKsI-UIRYV5ROqhpGyEP-_0Gvtokfwnw1LNyCRBy5BJ5HzEOvoh2Kgi4E/s1600/IMG_1950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrhz_Q-HKKR-5j2ZYot147ydouMQEp_sLfBtRw2sCwJlorfDh7AqU6H75vdhdnc1qF-qPOXFf61k5h2d11wvtKsI-UIRYV5ROqhpGyEP-_0Gvtokfwnw1LNyCRBy5BJ5HzEOvoh2Kgi4E/s400/IMG_1950.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have to look closely to see her among the lower limbs of the apple tree. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">With so much financial and sweat equity in our native plants, we were torn with how to feel about her presence here. But it didn't take long to decide to simply embrace the beauty of the moment, and accept her grace and loveliness for the gift that it was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I hope the bit of respite served her well, and I thank her for moving on with no damage whatsoever. The world seems like a dark and frightening place sometimes, but there is beauty in it too. And if our hearts are open, and we know where to look for it, it's easy to find. </span></div>
Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-80210614623153059782016-07-31T22:38:00.002-04:002016-07-31T22:38:19.984-04:00Wanted: Dead But With Life<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Kimberly Writes: </b>In my last post I encouraged everyone to leave dead trees standing whenever it's safe to do so. Dead trees provide important habitat and add visual interest to an area - when you look at them through the right lens!<b> =) </b></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But what to do if you don't have any dead trees in your yard? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PLANT SOME! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When a big dead limb broke off our maple tree, Kenn helped me bring it back to life! And we didn't have to wait long for a sense of satisfaction: a Downy Woodpecker came to check it out right after we put it up! (Not a bad way to mask a satellite dish either, eh?!) </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Helloooo in there..there...there.... </span><i class="_lew" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" title="smile emoticon"><i aria-hidden="true" class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_5371b4" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v2/yx/r/pimRBh7B6ER.png"); background-position: 0px -340px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 16px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"></i><span aria-hidden="true" class="_4mcd" style="font-size: 0px;">:-)</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-52865945117990664872016-07-30T11:03:00.003-04:002016-07-30T11:06:49.263-04:00Red-bellied Woodpeckers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Kimberly Writes:</b> Masked marauders are forcing us to take all of our bird feeders in at night. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it. The most recent reward is watching our adult male Red-bellied Woodpecker teaching his kid the ropes. Male and female RBWOs often divide the parenting duties once the young have fledged, so you'll often see just one or the other with part of the brood. We're happy that one of the adults s</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: start;">elected our yard for his kid's training grounds!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: start;">He has an affinity for oranges...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> ...and peanuts!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, of course, the kid learned how to exploit these two offerings first. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The kid's first attempts were awkward and comical, <br />but now it's feeding like a boss!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And while it's figured out the bird feeder gig, dad is still teaching it how to search for grubs and other goodies in our dead ash trees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Dad delivers a juicy snack to the youngster, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">providing some incentive for the kid to search on his own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I hope you're enjoying wonderful observations like these in your yard too. And please remember: always leave dead trees standing whenever it's safe to do so. The woodpeckers and many other birds will thank you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Learn more about Red-bellied Woodpeckers on the Audubon website.</span><a href="http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-bellied-woodpecker" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.audubon.org/field-gu…/bird/red-bellied-woodpecker</a></div>
Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-50324792324484586212016-07-29T12:50:00.004-04:002016-07-29T12:50:46.567-04:00From Kenn's Drawing Table: Brandt's Cormorant<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>From Kenn's Drawing Table: </b><b><i>Work in progress</i> - Brandt's Cormorant</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Kenn Writes:</b> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've finished a first pass on some of the easy parts, and now I'm about to attempt the subtle greenish and bluish gloss that shows up on well-lit parts of the black head and neck. Oil on illustration board. Brandt's Cormorant is common along the Pacific Coast of North America, from Mexico north to British Columbia, with a few in southern Alaska.</span></div>
Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-42206527501330652522016-07-14T23:22:00.001-04:002016-07-15T13:12:16.866-04:00Lifecycle of a Black Swallowtail Butterfly <div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_cp" style="overflow: hidden;">
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An album depicting the lifecycle of a Black Swallowtail - from egg to adult!<br />
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First, the egg...</div>
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Plants in the carrot family (<span style="line-height: 19.32px;">Queen Anne's Lace, and herbs like Parsley and Dill) </span><span style="line-height: 1.38;">are the host plants for Black Swallowtails. The adult butterfly laid the egg in the photo above right in front of me! </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">I'm struggling to describe the feeling of seeing something like this tiny pearl of life happen right before my eyes. I wish this feeling for all of you at least once in your lifetime. And I love the fact that the first thing the itty-bitty caterpiggles do is eat the egg shell! I watched this happen under a microscope once and it was remarkable!</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"> </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 1.38;">Speaking of caterpiggles...</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.38;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Here's a tiny early instar. See that white "saddle" in the middle of this caterpiggle's back? Well, apparently, that white saddle is "due to uric acid deposits that may function as antioxidant to protect larvae from phototoxic chemicals in the diet." (Timmerman & Berenbaum 1999).</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 19.32px; text-align: center;"> Below are various stages of caterpiggle development known as "instars."</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVjHictozOmLVKW8-zrgmhPxer7HvLBz7RRbUhDtBFKJxmBsoy1kRnkhf-weOzLnUgohAVV8vVqou0Lp1g8mmaV_9mx47M2S4hXUGAKv_mhhdBuvLDf5P1yf_Nb80L4xZDVXpcdFizIwe/s1600/10537841_10204246998363273_6521051407824358438_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVjHictozOmLVKW8-zrgmhPxer7HvLBz7RRbUhDtBFKJxmBsoy1kRnkhf-weOzLnUgohAVV8vVqou0Lp1g8mmaV_9mx47M2S4hXUGAKv_mhhdBuvLDf5P1yf_Nb80L4xZDVXpcdFizIwe/s400/10537841_10204246998363273_6521051407824358438_n.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This fully grown caterpiggle is preparing to pupate by</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">spinning a silken harness to secure itself with. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2HNrYJkXqjpcmd87P6SeHrNszfcgW7-7GamfsUeu6wKSkpJMs3A3maZDWDmxRrxBbsPIlrY_ocoNdRAoYAXu1O9sj2MJs2pdnv0pTNwHNJyRuXTl6E3EkUVwvaCLP_splgJ84FY-24_Z/s1600/10492040_10204247000323322_3897331279153532424_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2HNrYJkXqjpcmd87P6SeHrNszfcgW7-7GamfsUeu6wKSkpJMs3A3maZDWDmxRrxBbsPIlrY_ocoNdRAoYAXu1O9sj2MJs2pdnv0pTNwHNJyRuXTl6E3EkUVwvaCLP_splgJ84FY-24_Z/s400/10492040_10204247000323322_3897331279153532424_n.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is what it looks like just after pupating. <br />
You can see the caterpiggle's shed skin wadded up <br />
below the chrysalis. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chrysalis darkens as it hardens. </td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><br />Oh, and I just had to include an image of the bizarre "osmeterium." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The osmeterium is a gland and you only see it when the caterpillar feels threatened. It also emits a very strong odor that acts as a defense mechanism to ward off predators. (I still can't decide if I think it smells good or awful!) Because just when you think these doggone things couldn't be ANY cooler ... BAM, they pop fleshy,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> wet looking, really smelly, orange horns out the top of their head. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;">And here's the end result of all this effort and transformation: the stunning adult Black Swallowtail</span></div>
<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 1.38;">It's hard to believe these things are even real, isn't it?! Nature seems more like magic than reality sometimes. I hope you're providing host plants for butterflies and moths in your garden, so you too can have the remarkable experience of watching this process happen right before your eyes! </span></div>
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Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-31146577243896284612016-07-11T22:48:00.002-04:002016-07-12T14:38:50.505-04:00Bathing (Bird) Beauties: Brown Thrasher <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here in northwest Ohio we've had an extended period of hot, dry weather. The super dry conditions are creating challenges for farmers and gardeners, and we've been carrying lots of water to the dozens of native plants we planted this spring. <br /><br />Hot, dry conditions are tough on wildlife too. So, we've set up six different bird baths and they've all been very busy. Raccoons, Eastern Cottontails, and loads of birds have been using them every day. I love watching birds bathe and preen, so it's a bit of a bright side to the extreme weather. <br /><br />Today, a Brown Thrasher stopped by for a dip in my favorite bird bath, given to me by Maureen, an elderly woman who I cared for for many years. It's probably at least 50 years old, and although it looks like it isn't clean, I assure you that it gets scoured and cleaned at least once a day, and sometimes twice a day! (It's so very important to keep bird baths and feeders clean!) What you see is the lovely patina that it's developed over all these years of well water and hosting bathing critters. I cherish it! <br /><br />Here's a video of our bathing Thrasher! Watch as he's a bit tentative at first, but shifts into full-throttle bathing mode within a few seconds. I imagine a bath feels pretty darn good! </span><div>
<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODPU4Nieh_c" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODPU4Nieh_c </a><br /><br /></div>
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Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-8822988068647797362016-07-09T12:49:00.000-04:002016-07-09T14:57:06.318-04:00Backyard Nature Discoveries: Midland Painted Turtle <div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From Homebase in Oak Harbor, Kimberly Writes: When we began the project of converting 1/2 an acre of grass into a prairie, we knew it would be a lot of hard work. But we never lost sight of the benefits, both to wildlife - and to us. We knew it would be better than mowed lawn, but this little dab of habitat has brought more joy and discovery to our lives than we could have ever dreamed of. For example. . .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On one of our evening walks through the prairie recently, Kenn reached out and gently stopped me. Pointing to a spot <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">several feet ahead of us along the trail, he whispered,"Well, look at that!" And there, in the mowed trail through our little prairie, a female Midland Painted Turtle was gracing us with the honor of laying her eggs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;">We watched for several minutes until her work was completed...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzB81_DGQhJnzTvHiJOSlcxIoLqvj9IqzSkwWkW_SPIGNofp_upKY_g_orEl3AQtUodmIOSIDtGhNFRl_dTdColwxBWFgHwHtTPEesA2jDDrAZyh51XtWjdbzfM6aJA1KXQVfyZFCTET92/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzB81_DGQhJnzTvHiJOSlcxIoLqvj9IqzSkwWkW_SPIGNofp_upKY_g_orEl3AQtUodmIOSIDtGhNFRl_dTdColwxBWFgHwHtTPEesA2jDDrAZyh51XtWjdbzfM6aJA1KXQVfyZFCTET92/s400/IMG_1565.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">...and we followed her from a safe distance as she made her way back towards our pond. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYtnIED0CgsXyHJr_QcKcYY7i-Fux-JnWXyiiXagAQilGe7vrZtV2n1jjiwAUGoSGx-lPuwMWlQOhUTmhWakshriFw9FKvwzUX0jwDx0SvXxvqW5iB5v2JtaWYpZRNYc16RkNFP5gmIH9/s1600/IMG_1568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYtnIED0CgsXyHJr_QcKcYY7i-Fux-JnWXyiiXagAQilGe7vrZtV2n1jjiwAUGoSGx-lPuwMWlQOhUTmhWakshriFw9FKvwzUX0jwDx0SvXxvqW5iB5v2JtaWYpZRNYc16RkNFP5gmIH9/s400/IMG_1568.JPG" width="221" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">It was shocking to see how far she'd traveled in order to lay her eggs in a spot she felt safe. Kenn stepped it off, and it was at least 150 feet.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">If you look closely in the photo below (L), you can see Kenn standing on the edge of the pond. Our little turtle started from there, came all the way down this section of the path...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">...and all the way to the spot in the distance where you can see the circle of chicken wire protecting the nest. Quite a feat for a small turtle!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">An fascinating fact about reproduction of many Ohio turtle species is that the sex is determined by the temperature at the time the eggs develop. Warmer temps produce females and cooler temps produce males. Within the same nest, the warmer eggs at the top can all hatch out as females, while the cooler eggs at the bottom will be males.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">The incubation period is 10 - 11 weeks, so we'll keep tabs on them and hopefully we'll be able to share some images of the hatchlings as they make their way to the pond.</span><br />
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Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-16390482545107346602015-12-14T18:55:00.001-05:002015-12-14T21:32:30.074-05:00Reggie's Tree Topper<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you look closely, you'll notice a subtle alteration to our Christmas tree. It's up there, right at the top, see?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1O7u3yJ6trmLRYlrxRcmQxW9qLF9raIhgKlrbz_a-8-KlJg18MPtjPl2gpWZWnhyphenhyphenD_iV7gQcJemHi59Cmr3TyGDRffhDYF0e694jkRmsuHHpB6GVgTc7Rg8mVsvGbE2HV6_uj6Esx-FP/s1600/Tree+Topper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1O7u3yJ6trmLRYlrxRcmQxW9qLF9raIhgKlrbz_a-8-KlJg18MPtjPl2gpWZWnhyphenhyphenD_iV7gQcJemHi59Cmr3TyGDRffhDYF0e694jkRmsuHHpB6GVgTc7Rg8mVsvGbE2HV6_uj6Esx-FP/s400/Tree+Topper.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ud2w_xkE3u62eAwytlteTvNRZXa8mgmcn_s0GnkMRZCP9kGPJKoFekAn9Q1bqwVtYg1kT9QLtvO8qpSXm3xZJC3kpDu5EoBnZx_B0f6AmSOmwxQFsZGTz3JymdrpPV80CcGFiCnfz8O1/s1600/Tree+with+Dad%2527s+Topper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ud2w_xkE3u62eAwytlteTvNRZXa8mgmcn_s0GnkMRZCP9kGPJKoFekAn9Q1bqwVtYg1kT9QLtvO8qpSXm3xZJC3kpDu5EoBnZx_B0f6AmSOmwxQFsZGTz3JymdrpPV80CcGFiCnfz8O1/s1600/Tree+with+Dad%2527s+Topper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ud2w_xkE3u62eAwytlteTvNRZXa8mgmcn_s0GnkMRZCP9kGPJKoFekAn9Q1bqwVtYg1kT9QLtvO8qpSXm3xZJC3kpDu5EoBnZx_B0f6AmSOmwxQFsZGTz3JymdrpPV80CcGFiCnfz8O1/s400/Tree+with+Dad%2527s+Topper.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That old plastic tree topper might seem a bit out of place atop a homespun Christmas tree adorned in simple, handmade ornaments. But there's so much more to it than a simple tree topper. This is a finial perched atop a child's holiday memories. A lightening rod that conducted the best energies of a father who was hard on his family, its presence and its meaning protecting them from the things that were hard to understand.<br /><br />Last night, I shared my mother's love of Christmas, and her insistence on having a live tree to decorate. As a kid, I had no idea how the tree got there, it just sort of magically appeared. I know now that there was always quite a row about getting the tree, getting it in the house, and positioning it just so.<br /><br />My dad was hard on us, and there were times when it wasn't always so clear whether he loved us or just tolerated us. He had such wonderful character, a silly streak, and an abundance of friends. But with five kids, lean times, and more challenges than a child could begin to comprehend, he was demanding of his kids, sometimes downright harsh, and almost always repressed any kind of emotion in our company.<br /><br />I often wondered what it was that made dad so unhappy. And it wasn't until I was all grown up that I could truly appreciate the challenges he faced, how hard the man worked, and his struggles to keep food in our mouths and a roof over our heads. I grew to know and understand that his love for us was a powerful force in his life, he just struggled to express it.<br /><br />And so, as a child, I clung to the few things that brought out the best in him. The happy, silly, fun daddy that made me want to jump into his arms and beg him to always smile that smile that seemed to come straight from his heart. Things like the Christmas tree topper.<br /><br />My mother and my brothers and sisters and I decorated the tree. Dad didn't participate in any way, until the very end. And then, he would root through the post-tree-decorating chaos until he found his tree topper, and, holding it above his head like a scepter, would proudly declare that it wasn't a Christmas tree until HIS topper was on! Mom would playfully object, "But, Reg, that thing is so old and nasty." (And it really was!) "Why don't we get a new one this year?!"<br /><br />And, oh, how he would rant!<br /><br />"There's not a damn thing wrong with this one!" he would exclaim, even though both of the side pieces that held the little bells had long since broken off, the wire that lit up the bulb in the middle of the angel hair center had shorted out, and in general, it looked like something he'd dug out of the trash! Once, mom even tried to buy a lovely new angel and just quietly replace Dad's topper on the tree. He hadn't been in the house but a minute before he noticed the switch, and he immediately went digging for that old, broken, decrepit --- amazing, beautiful, perfect topper.<br /><br />In later years, dad mellowed so much, and he became the most loving father and grampa we could have ever hoped for. He's been gone for more than five years now, and I never miss him more than I do at Christmas time.<br /><br />When he died, my oldest sister Laura took loving possession of Dad's Tree Topper, preserving that broken mess of beautiful memories, cherishing it as the treasure that it is.<br /><br />Last Christmas, on a whim, my amazing sister Tina Googled "vintage Christmas Tree Toppers," and lo and behold, she discovered an eBay auction that had several of these vintage wonders for sale. She gave them to us with no warning last Christmas. And when I opened that box...well, I still can't think about it without crying.<br /><br />And so, this year, the first of what I hope will be many, our tree is adorned with Reggie's Tree Topper. And if there is an after-life, I know my dad is here with me, smiling his best smile.</span>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-88347655520695949292015-07-27T08:19:00.001-04:002015-07-28T12:27:08.975-04:00Prairapy Session <div style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kimberly Writes: I came home from the <a href="http://midwestnativeplants.org/" target="_blank">Midwest Native Plant Society's</a> conference this weekend feeling totally inspired! Seeing so many people come together in celebration of native plants, pollinators, butterflies, singing insects - and just the wonder of the natural world in general - made my heart so happy, and filled me with such a sense of hope for the natural world. I am so grateful to Kathy McDonald, <a href="http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jim McCormac</a>, Ned Keller, Yvonne Cecil, and the entire team that organizes the wonderful Midwest Native Plant Conference. I'm thankful to have been able to attend two terrific programs by <a href="http://cherylharner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cheryl Harner</a> and <a href="http://listeninginnature.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Rainsong</a>. (And Kenn's keynote was wonderful, too!) Thank you all for the healthy dose of inspiration and knowledge!<br /><br />I decided to use my new-found inspiration as motivation to pull weeds in our prairie. Watching the transformation of half an acre of unmowed grass into a prairie has done more than restore habitat, it's restored something deep in my soul. When you're knee-deep and head down in an ocean of waving grass, your mind is clear, the sweat drips from an unfretted brow, and the best feeling in the world is when the stubborn roots of an invasive plant give way against your relentless tugging.<br /><br />My back aches this morning, but the rewards were beautiful. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Gray-headed Coneflower</span><i style="text-align: center;"> (Ratibida pinnata)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(one of my faves!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Prairie Dock<i> (Silphium terebinthinaceum)</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span>shooting its stalk to the moon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) loaded with pollinators!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And as I dragged one load of weed carcasses out to the edge, I came face to face with a little Viceroy caterpillar munching away on a small willow!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oBAgumHphHvlacGvR2LQsa4RXBf3SCX0J9y47TPK8BCKV3htNKZIz882V67NUQFJZGDCAbGs9-SILcU-TJDUolPHgJgPSZ-HlekXyqDyNt4ObvvxpOg5gM2XkUdttH7drCFbvBqR-bg7/s1600/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oBAgumHphHvlacGvR2LQsa4RXBf3SCX0J9y47TPK8BCKV3htNKZIz882V67NUQFJZGDCAbGs9-SILcU-TJDUolPHgJgPSZ-HlekXyqDyNt4ObvvxpOg5gM2XkUdttH7drCFbvBqR-bg7/s400/cat.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was two hours of hard work wrapped in bliss, and the world seems like a better place this morning for my "prairapy" session!</span></div>
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Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-81561123480814333922015-06-22T07:57:00.001-04:002015-06-22T07:57:14.395-04:00From Kenn's Drawing Table: Red-legged Cormorant.<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><b>From Kenn's Drawing Table:</b> Work in progress: Red-legged Cormorant. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">There are about 40 species of cormorants in the world. They occur on all seven continents but they're widely dispersed, usually with no more than four species at any one locality, so it would take a lot of traveling to see them all. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9yWaIxNolMXn4Tr8skYleVVdzzpIl1pEhZhn2gsqUjHxNzCyQ8Nmbv1XYHi4U0ay7vWAJ92c3J2zS0WzYkef3-zPxD1sU6gdRyZpM7-oRgeWytzhKRh-lj7_DmXCiMFP4tyf9WVjUBkt/s1600/Red-legged+Cormorant..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9yWaIxNolMXn4Tr8skYleVVdzzpIl1pEhZhn2gsqUjHxNzCyQ8Nmbv1XYHi4U0ay7vWAJ92c3J2zS0WzYkef3-zPxD1sU6gdRyZpM7-oRgeWytzhKRh-lj7_DmXCiMFP4tyf9WVjUBkt/s400/Red-legged+Cormorant..jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">By now I've seen most of them; my favorite is Red-legged Cormorant, a specialty of western South America (Peru and Chile), with a few also in southern Argentina. I had seen these birds on past trips, but when we watched them in Peru last winter, I knew I'd have to try painting them. The pattern of whitish spots on the upperparts is unique in the family, while the circle of sky-blue dots around each eye is another intriguing feature.</span>Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-76146367819012146452015-05-22T08:24:00.002-04:002015-05-22T08:37:36.048-04:00Eastern Meadowlark Observations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><b style="font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif;">From Homebase in Oak Harbor, OH, Kimberly Writes: </b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you haven't read my last post, please do. It explains how Eastern Meadowlarks came to nest in our "yard gone wild!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">They're shockingly close to the house, allowing for wonderful observations of behavior. They seem to be most active in the early morning hours, the female bringing nest material...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKANedkkFuvBz9drjh-QSXDdv3osigz9A7xLkIDHyAtR86G7HmNdVxZ1V7XzXEv9M-cMOja7tZRb3jqcHuMIQtTy9NV8-hpi6bC4MXcjCuUTiKhur-tv4BGKiFgnwhgJl0pZStp4aMjXo/s1600/Female+with+Nest+Material.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKANedkkFuvBz9drjh-QSXDdv3osigz9A7xLkIDHyAtR86G7HmNdVxZ1V7XzXEv9M-cMOja7tZRb3jqcHuMIQtTy9NV8-hpi6bC4MXcjCuUTiKhur-tv4BGKiFgnwhgJl0pZStp4aMjXo/s400/Female+with+Nest+Material.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> ...while the male takes to a high perch some distance away to sing and chatter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The nest is built on the ground, in areas with dense grass and other low cover, in a small depression in the soil. The nest is a domed structure with the entrance on the side, made of grass stems interwoven with surrounding growth. There are typically narrow trails or runways in the grass leading to the nest. The grass is tall enough that I can't see the actual nest site yet, but the female lands some distance away a</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">nd I can see the grass moving as she follows these trails to the general area!</span></span></div>
Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283005317456814429.post-85574106733268866282015-05-21T17:00:00.000-04:002015-05-22T08:32:07.054-04:00The Beauty in Letting Go<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<b>From Homebase in Oak Harbor, OH, Kimberly Writes: </b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After two weeks of neglect, our lawn, as viewed through the lens of conventional wisdom, was officially out of control. I mean, mowing your grass is what you're supposed to do, right? Yes, indeed, grass is meant for mowing, and a yard must be kept neat and tidy to conform with the ideal of what a perfect lawn is supposed to be.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tell that to a Meadowlark!<br /><br /><span style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">For here in our little three acre patch of paradise, a pair of Eastern Meadowlarks is actively building a nest. Unexpected guests to our unconventional lawn.</span></span><br style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Female with a mouthful of nest material </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><span style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Leave it to the birds to remind us of the benefits of letting go. To remind us that wild and unruly could represent perfection. That conventional wisdom should be challenged now and then. And that the reward might be a bird with the sun on its breast and a song as sweet as the summer breeze.</span></span></div>
Kimberly Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03111614059575304808noreply@blogger.com2